Every line of a query letter is crucial, but the hook is the first part of the query that an editor will read, making it the most important. Most readers tend to move on to something more interesting if the first few lines of an article don't grab their attention. It only makes sense—and is plainly obvious--that an editor won't finish your query letter if you fail to grab his or her attention from the start. Much like the “mission statement” of a job resume, the hook of a query letter is your chance to yank the editor in and then use your writing skill to discuss succinctly how exactly your article is relevant, engaging, and interesting to the publication’s readership.

You can employ a proven hook when writing your next query letter. Each hook comes with its own context and set of benefits. I have listed the five recognizable hooks below, along with tips on when and how to use them.

Blogging is a continually expanding profession that offers lots of freelance possibilities. However, be careful about what clients want you to blog and how much they are willing to pay you. Many aspiring freelance bloggers end up working full-time for part-time pay or working part-time for little pay.

If you're planning to offer blogging services, don't agree to write a 500-word post for under $8. Just because you are new to blogging doesn't mean you can't write an interesting blog post. You already have existing skills that you can bring to blogging, such as writing on niche topics and engaging readers with compelling headlines.

The term "copy" simply denotes "information
that a client wants written and published." A client may contract you to
create copy for print or digital media, such as for a magazine, a website, a brochure,
a DVD, or a sales letter. Because copy comes in all forms and for all
industries, the variety is seemingly limitless.

All writing needs "somebody" to write it. In
industries where businesses need an ongoing supply of promotional and sales
materials, the demand to hire freelance copywriters always remains high and
lucrative. If you have exceptional writing abilities and know how to write
engaging and persuasive copy, then you can join an elite group of well-paid
copywriters.

For politicians churning out multitudes of sound bites, press releases and Tweets in our 24-hour news cycle, the probability of making a spelling or grammar mistake is high. Some are inconsequential, others are laughable, and a few are downright embarrassing. Take a look at these famous flubs from the last few campaign cycles.

1. The Obama Campaign's "Congrssional Budget Office"—In a video blasting Republican Mitt Romney for offering misleading information on the national debt, the Democratic President's policy director appeared in a searing video citing numbers directly from the nonpartisan congressional budget watchdog. However, when the screen flashed to the slide citing the CBO, it was erroneously labeled as the "Congrssional Budget Office." The ad lost its bite and the President took some ribbing in the press.

With more people working part-time and looking to supplement their income with freelance work, it's important for creative-types to learn how to pitch, communicate, and correspond with editors the right way, especially if they dream of becoming full-time freelance writers.

A difficult but essential writing rule I had to learn as a budding freelance writer was to communicate and interact professionally with print and online editors—without agitating their pet peeves. If you are beginning your quest to write articles for websites and publications, then you should know these four basic rules because they will help you build new and lasting relationships with editors. I refer to these rules as "duh!" rules because they are so obvious to seasoned writers but often ignored by beginners.

Jargon is a specialized writing style often abused by big business, certain trade industries in the legal and medical fields, federal and state governments, and institutes of education. Jargon contains "workshop words," vague figures of speech, hackneyed expressions, and pompous writing that communicators use obsessively to communicate with their peers and colleagues. Many communicators who are recipients of such jargon-wretched writing often complain about struggling to understand the written work's meaning.

Jargon creates wordiness in a document. Wordiness often creates confusion. Confusion leads to a lack of understanding. Overuse of passive voice, using bigger words instead of simpler synonyms, and lack of specifics contribute to jargon. Too much jargon in a document is said to "muddy its meaning" because readers have trouble understanding its true purpose.

Freelance writing can be an exciting career choice or a creative way to make extra money on the side. The daily chore of freelancing involves seeking out new editorial markets, whether print magazines, online ezines, news journals, etc. If you have an idea for an article, the most common method to procure a writing assignment is with a well-written, compelling, and persuasive query letter.

Typically, you will encounter submission guidelines that state the following:

A query letter is a brief synopsis of the article that you plan to write or have already written. Ideally, you should craft your query letter to convey the premise of your article and explain why you are the most qualified person to write it. While some editors still ask to submit query letters via snail mail, most editors accept email pitches. The right query letter can grab the editor's attention and convince him or her to publish your article.

Few figures in history have had a lasting effect the way William Shakespeare has. Simply stating the man's name is enough to make a connection to literature, drama, and the written word as a creative tool rather than just a means of communication. But even with a legacy as robust and celebrated as time has awarded William Shakespeare, other trivial facts make this historical giant even more of an enigmatic character.

Fact #1: Google lists 83 million pages when you search for the name "William Shakespeare." Of course, this figure is not totally accurate, but it does present a statistical curiosity of Shakespeare's popularity around the world. This surpasses the returns on searches for literary heavyweights like Ernest Hemingway (11 million) and H.P. Lovecraft (3 million), and even contemporary darlings of the writing world like Stephenie Meyer (4 million) and JK Rowling (6 million).

Style guides provide writers and non-writers with a manual of rules for writing, formatting and creating documents. They govern consistency and uniformity. Many of us have used a style guide in school, such as APA Style, MLA Style or Chicago Manual of Style, to format and cite sources for a thesis, dissertation or research paper. You may have used a style guide when you composed an article for a journal, magazine or website. Some of us who copy edit or proofread for publishers use either a common style guide or the publisher's in-house style to ensure all written materials are consistent in substance and structure.

I share with you my own 15 PR tips that will guide you in the right direction to: 1) write a newsworthy press release for any occasion; 2) format a press release for print media and digital media; 3) distribute your press release to newswires, PR distribution sites, journalists, and the media; and 4) generate ongoing, long-term publicity with a single press release or a series of press releases.